16 LB 1911 springs.

[RVTECH]

Will a 16 lb 1911 spring possibly be too stiff for mediocre .45 loads and maybe not cycle consistently?

I need to get a new spring for my .45 1991 A1 (as per a previous discussion about springs I started) AND SARCO has them for $ 4.95 and being 'cheap' I thought I would try one and see.

How about in my new RIA 9mm? Too heavy as well? I AM loading my 9MMs on nearly the top end of published data as I read 'NEW' 9mm 1911s should be shot with 'upper end' ammo for a while during 'break in' and then dropped down later if one wants, however I am loading 4 grains of TiteGroup with 124 grain plated RN bullets so that isn't too terribly heavy.

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[Alexx1401]

Will a 16 lb 1911 spring possibly be too stiff for mediocre .45 loads and maybe not cycle consistently?

I need to get a new spring for my .45 1991 A1 (as per a previous discussion about springs I started) AND SARCO has them for $ 4.95 and being 'cheap' I thought I would try one and see.

How about in my new RIA 9mm? Too heavy as well? I AM loading my 9MMs on nearly the top end of published data as I read 'NEW' 9mm 1911s should be shot with 'upper end' ammo for a while during 'break in' and then dropped down later if one wants, however I am loading 4 grains of TiteGroup with 124 grain plated RN bullets so that isn't too terribly heavy.

I use one for Wife. Make up some very light loads she just loves to plink with and the light weight spring makes them cycle great.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Original designed spring in 1911 was 14.5lbs if that helps

 

[RVTECH]

Original designed spring in 1911 was 14.5lbs if that helps

Thanks! I'll probably go ahead and order a couple of them from SARCO and hope for the best!

I see a couple other things on their site I want as well so hopefully all goes well.

I have never ordered anything from SARCO but they have been around a while and I have NEVER heard of anyone having problems with them.

 

[Alexx1401]

Thanks! I'll probably go ahead and order a couple of them from SARCO and hope for the best!

I see a couple other things on their site I want as well so hopefully all goes well.

I have never ordered anything from SARCO but they have been around a while and I have NEVER heard of anyone having problems with them.

They have been around a LONG time. Have bought from them so long ago I can't remember what it was, but never heard of any problems with them.

 

[Alexx1401]

Original designed spring in 1911 was 14.5lbs if that helps

Damn the #16 pounders seem weak to me now days since I got so used to the #18's. Seems like a #14 would really beat up the poor pistol.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Damn the #16 pounders seem weak to me now days since I got so used to the #18's. Seems like a #14 would really beat up the poor pistol.

Probably why they had so many arsenal rebuilds

 

[monks]

I've run light loads with a 16# spring for years now in several government model 45's. No issues.

 

[jbett98]

Wolff Springs make a 1911 calibration spring kit that has an assortment of custom lb. weight springs.
I inherited a 1968 Colt National Match 1911 and used a Wolff spring pack to dial in the slide, as Colt designed the National Match to shoot wad cutters in target competitions and they removed some steel from the slide to lighten it. It came with a spring I guess is only 9 to 10 lbs at best.
If I want to shoot more powerful ammo without battering the slide, I need to install a much heavier 18 lb.
You won't be disappointed in their top quality products.

https://www.gunsprings.com/COLT/1911+GOV%27T+PISTOL/cID1/mID1/dID1

 

[ron]

I use a Wilson shock buff on all my 1911s. I have been running them since I got into 1911s +40 years. ago.
Protects the frame. Anyone else use these??

SHOK-BUFF, RECOIL BUFFERS, 1911, PACKAGE OF 6

Our 6 pack of SHOK-BUFF® recoil buffers is a great and effective solution to protecting your 1911 style pistol during recoil, as it places a 1/10" thick poly fiber buffer between the slide and frame contact areas.

wilsoncombat.com

 

[RVTECH]

Protects the frame. Anyone else use these??

Yep, have been for years. I make my own!

 

[MacReady]

This is a rabbit hole I actually went down recently when trying to figure out what springs I should put in my Colt Commander. Seems like most 1911s these days come with 16 lb springs. Curious if Wilson Combats 18 and 20 lb kit is too stiff and would cause malfs. But I'm trying to prevent the alloy frame from getting battered while practicing with defensive loads. On that subject has anyone tried the WilsonCombat shock buffer kit? Are they legit or just a gimmick?

 

[monks]

I use a Wilson shock buff on all my 1911s. I have been running them since I got into 1911s +40 years. ago.
Protects the frame. Anyone else use these??

SHOK-BUFF, RECOIL BUFFERS, 1911, PACKAGE OF 6

Our 6 pack of SHOK-BUFF® recoil buffers is a great and effective solution to protecting your 1911 style pistol during recoil, as it places a 1/10" thick poly fiber buffer between the slide and frame contact areas.

wilsoncombat.com

View attachment 2218262

I tried some ed Browne shock buffs and the 1911 that they were in chewed them to bits and the gun malfunctioned. I don't use them any more.

 

[RVTECH]

I tried some ed Browne shock buffs and the 1911 that they were in chewed them to bits

Of course. They make them out of frangible material so you have to keep buying them.

I make mine out of dense black rubber plumbing gaskets. I don't know the material specifically but they don't fall apart.

 

[RVTECH]

Ordered a set of three springs - 14, 16 & 18 lbs for $13 off Ebay (free shipping) so I can experiment with them.

I figure either the 16 or 18 will be fine in my 1991 A1 .45 and the 14 will work in the RIA 9mm.

 

[Quirt Evans]

"Commanders" don't run around on battlefields shooting hundreds of rounds.
The lightweight Commanders were designed, (just like an Airweight J-frame S&W,) to be carried a lot and shot little, if you want to run them like a steel gun a shock-buff isn't a bad idea.
Yes, the original 1911 recoil spring was ~14lbs, BUT the original ammo was a 200gr bullet.
The Gold Cups with the relieved/lightened slides were only produced for a few years, and they're more-or-less collector items now, they're not designed to be shot with full power ammo even with a heavier spring. Many of them have had their slides cracked from using mil-spec ammo, put them in the safe and get a pistol with a "normal" slide to shoot.
Shock-buffs are fine for range guns, for a carry gun leave them out
If you spend some time on 1911 forums you'll learn that heavy springs are the cause of many of the failure to feed malfunctions, it's not the opening of the slide, it's that the heavy springs make the slide close faster, and if the magazine spring can't lift the column of ammo quick enough you get a failure to feed, the magazine spring can't keep up with the faster moving slide.
The main resistance to opening the slide comes from the mainspring not the recoil spring.
Another thing that controls the slide opening is the radius of the firing pin stop.
If you're using the recommended mainspring, (23lbs,) and a small radius firing pin stop you shouldn't need a recoil spring heavier than 16lbs unless you're using +P ammo.
Too often shooters use heavy recoil springs as a band-aid to cover-up problems that are somewhere else.

 

[jbett98]

I bought a vintage new in box 2nd gen Colt Ace 22lr conversion kit for my National Match.
It matches the 1968 frames color and also has the same target sights, so shooting it is a pleasure, especially with the match grade trigger.
It's a great introduction for younger shooters to be able to handle a 1911 without the heavy slide spring and recoil.

 

[WillametteWill]

My handloads are below factory velocities and still work fine with factory #16 springs; mine are all Wolff now. My 9mm & 38 Super are #14 and are also not finicky.

I tried the Shok-Buff (note they are only rated to 1,000 rounds), and one came apart, so these are no-gos for me.

 

[RVTECH]

My handloads are below factory velocities and still work fine with factory #16 springs; mine are all Wolff now. My 9mm & 38 Super are #14 and are also not finicky.

I hope I have the same results!

I tried to find the cheapest assortment of springs I could and chose the 14-16-18 lb set to try.

 

[MrBill357]

Will a 16 lb 1911 spring possibly be too stiff for mediocre .45 loads and maybe not cycle consistently?

I need to get a new spring for my .45 1991 A1 (as per a previous discussion about springs I started) AND SARCO has them for $ 4.95 and being 'cheap' I thought I would try one and see.

How about in my new RIA 9mm? Too heavy as well? I AM loading my 9MMs on nearly the top end of published data as I read 'NEW' 9mm 1911s should be shot with 'upper end' ammo for a while during 'break in' and then dropped down later if one wants, however I am loading 4 grains of TiteGroup with 124 grain plated RN bullets so that isn't too terribly heavy.

I have a Springfield 1911 A-1 (Loaded) and it originally came with a 16 Lb. Spring.